The nurse being oriented to a new position is reviewing the hospital's standards of care, standardized care plans, protocols, policies, and procedures. For which reasons should the nurse realize that these documents are being used by the nursing staff?

Question

1. Making sure all clients have the same types of care
2. Ensuring that minimally accepted standards are met
3. Promoting efficient use of the nurse's time
4. Eliminating care disparities among clients
5. Ensuring medication errors do not occur

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2, 3
Rationale 1: Ensuring that all clients receive the same type of care is not appropriate, as care must be individualized to meet the client's needs.
Rationale 2: Standards of care, standardized care plans, protocols, policies, and procedures are developed and accepted by the nursing staff in order to ensure that minimally acceptable criteria are met.
Rationale 3: Standards of care, standardized care plans, protocols, policies, and procedures are developed and accepted by the nursing staff in order to promote efficient use of nurses' time by removing the need to author common activities that are done repeatedly for many of the clients on a nursing unit.
Rationale 4: Standardized documents will not eliminate care disparities among clients.
Rationale 5: Standardized documents will not ensure that medication errors do not occur.